Tactical Emergency Medical Services (TEMS)

Today’s world has seen a dangerous increase in incidents that include a variety of threats such as firearms, knives, explosives, and even weapons of mass destruction. These incidents can occur in hostile, remote, or high threat areas, and involve active shooters, bomb threats, hostage situations, or other high-risk threats.

When someone is injured within such an event, EMS personnel are often unable to enter the location to render care. Unfortunately, it can take significant time for law enforcement to stabilize the scene and allow EMS to respond and provide life-saving interventions to the victims of such tragic events.

Based on concepts that originated in the military and have been implemented throughout the country, the Wausau Fire Department’s Tactical Emergency Medical Services (TEMS) Team was created in 2013 to address these challenges. The TEMS Team consists of a group of dedicated Paramedics that have been trained specifically to accompany the Marathon County Sheriff’s Office Special Weapons and Tactics Team (SWAT) when they are deployed to many types of high-risk calls. Members of the team work hand in hand with our law enforcement counterparts to ensure the public’s safety in the face of today’s threats.